A Wisp of Summer
by amakasu toko
Summary: AU Sasuke has been forced to stay in a hospital. In the midst of his cold heart, a blonde boy threatened with a terminal disease emerges. Will Naruto be able to change Sasuke for the better or will he die before accomplishing his goal? SasuNaru friendship
1. Prologue

AN: Hmm, I'm trying something different; way different. In fact, I'm experimenting with a different format, a different mood, hell, I'm even cruising into the risque territory of evolution. However, let's hope the formatting works on and we'll see how it turns out!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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A Wisp of Summer - Prologue

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**Darkness**. Then a blinding flash of light, followed closely by a blurry haze.

I lift my lead-filled hand to carefully brush the lazy strands of hair away from my face.

_Wh-Where am I...?_

I push myself off the white sheets that lay flattened beneath me—or at least, I _tried_ to. A crackle of lightning accompanied by the deafening roar of thunder pierced through my unsuspecting brain and I groaned, falling back onto the thin pillow without the usual grace or stature I carried. Sighing, I resigned myself to the cruel fate of being immobile and I set out to do the next most intelligent thing:

Cautiously opening my eyes and getting adjusted to the mocking rays of sunlight, I tilt my heavy head slowly, and I mean _slowly_; my head moved a mere fraction at a time as I scrutinized every speck and dust in the room. Everything was white; white sheets, white walls, white window panes...hell, I would have thought that I had dropped into an insane asylum if the walls were lined with pads.

I winced painfully as yet another crack of lightning flashed between my eyes. It was a synchronized sort of thing, like the dull throbbing that echoes in my head at precise measured intervals in time. It was, to put it in more simple terms, a loud nail-on-chalkboard _SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH_ that threatened my sanity. I glanced with obvious irritation at the beeping machine next to me. If that blasted piece of metal does not stop its monotonous noises...

_...Beeping machine?_

I suddenly become very aware of the IV tube that is stuck in my arm and the dreadful white gown that embraces me. I gasp inaudibly and everything—well, almost everything—hit me at once:

I was in a hospital.

"Yo." A voice suddenly came as I unconsciously flinched at the noise, "glad to see you're finally up, Sasuke."

Oh right. That was my name. Things were yet again coming back to me. I am Uchiha Sasuke, the young and only survivor of the Uchiha clan. I am a part of the Konoha Academy, a small, yet prosperous university belonging to a group of elite professionals who taught the art of assassination. Yes, you heard me right; I am training to be an assassin—a modern ninja if you will. In fact, not to be an egoist, I am the top assassin at the academy, reaching above the level of most superiors. What? I said I was not an egoist—I work extremely hard to reach the ultimate rank of power in order to attain my goal.

"Sasuke? Can you hear me?" The man waved his hand in front of my face, his gray bushy hair swaying haphazardly during his action.

This man is Hatake Kakashi, my personal teacher of the school. Since I have already overcome the power level of most professors in the school, Kakashi was assigned to me to finish my training. The man is a true mystery; he wears a mask wherever he goes—not the type of mask one wears when one is on an Anbu Assassination Mission, mind you—just a trash-bag looking type of...gauze.

I slap Kakashi's mischievous hand from my face and I give him my death glare of doom; if only looks could kill. However, Kakashi merely chuckled, throwing a bucket of bricks into my head while doing so, and said,

"Glad to see you're feeling better."

"Feeling better is an understatement." I growl in a low voice, "how the hell did I end up here?"

"Maa, you don't remember?" Kakashi pondered with amusement; I could just imagine the slight smirk on his face. However, remember what? Last thing I remember was being on a mission...

Why, of course! I had been on a training mission with my 2 man group—correction, 2 _person_ group. Unfortunately, Haruno Sakura was deemed a genius and put in Kakashi's personal care along with me. I swear that dratted pink-haired brat is more concerned with staring at me then learning how to kill people. Strangely, there was supposed to be one more person in our group, but he had...disappeared last minute and all the superiors are incredibly tight-lipped about it. I remember how emotional Iruka got when I cornered him about it:

"_What? The last student? What of him?" He nervously stuttered._

"_You and I both know very well that there was supposed to be one more person in our group! What happened to him?" I snapped, hell, I was not going to be left alone with that Sakura girl; she is too caught up with oggling me to depend on in a battle._

"_He could not make it into the group, of course..." Iruka said, masking his anxiety with a fake chuckle._

"_Then why is there not another student to take his place?" I demanded again._

"_Because...Because Na—!" Iruka caught himself before saying anymore._

"_Because what?" I persisted, determined to find out why no one was talking about the third member. A cringed in distaste as Iruka put his hand on my head, as if he was patting a child. However, being the observant assassin-to-be I was, I sensed the tenseness of his muscles and the trembling of his fingers as he did so—the man was faking a pet so I would not look at him._

"_Sasuke, please do not bring this up anymore. The remaining member...is unable to show up, but perhaps he will someday..." Came the voice, soothing and calm—another false action._

_I grabbed Iruka's hand and growled softly as I left, glancing quickly at the man's face before I left. I was right—the man's eyes were glistening with tears._

"Sasuke? Yooooo! Sa-su-keeeeee." Kakashi drawled as he waved his hands in front of my face again.

"Would you cut that out?" I snapped irritably. The man must have drank too much caffeine before he visited; normally he's almost as lazy as Shikamaru. Kakashi ignored my snapping and sat down on the white plastic chair with a gray pencil mark on the side. It squeaked in indignation as Kakashi leaned back.

"With all that daydreaming you're doing, that fall must have really taken a chunk of your brain." He mused. I scoffed; Fall? What fall? Ooooh, _that_ fall.

Going back to that training mission with Sakura. We were sent to retrieve a fat cat—it looked more like a banana slug than a tabby—and leaping across the branches I heard Sakura cry out...

_I glanced back warily, could she have been attacked? (Not that any shinobi would fight us over that stupid mud pie of an animal...) Luckily, she was not under attack. However, she was screeching and pointing at the damn feline...which was running straight at her. Who knew such a chubby thing could leap on branches, must less climb it?_

"_Sakura! GRAB IT!" I shouted. To my dismay, she stood there with glazed eyes. She screeched again, piercing my ear drums._

"_Sasuke-kun! I...I SAW YOUR BOXERS!" She squealed; eyes gleaming with tears. _

_...Of all the bloody times to be staring at me and my boxers..._

"_WATCH OUT!" I shouted as I pushed her out of the way, feeling the pure force of the furry striped whale crash into my stomach. I spiralled down the treetops, feeling the whips of wind as I saw myself meeting Mr. Ground. Why, good afternoon Mr. Ground! I'm doing fine too! Is that a speck of dust on your chin? Let me take a closer look...**CRACK!**_

"Sakura..." I hissed angrily.

"Mm? Thought you didn't have a thing for her." Kakashi asked, his eyebrows furrowing in mock confusion.

"She was the one who put me in the hospital!" I snapped.

"She told us the cat was the one who beat you up," Kakashi said in amusement, his eyes crinkling up in laughter, "to have a mere cat beat you into a concussion..."

"It was Sakura's fault!" I yelled, grabbing my head as I felt a bomb go off in the Hiroshima inside my head.

"Yare yare, don't stress yourself." Kakashi smiled as he patted my arm reassuringly, "the doctors say you have a severe concussion, but you'll be able to leave in a few weeks."  
"A few weeks? That's impossible!" I yelled again, trying hard to ignore the second bomb that went off in the other city within my head, "No concussion should take that long!"

"Well, the doctors want to make sure the last Uchiha lives." My mentor said, his eyes growing solemn, "you know the elders want to ensure that your bloodline lives on."

Ha. They don't care if I live or die; they only want my Sharingan, those selfish bastards. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, much aware that Kakashi had taken out his Icha Icha Book to pass time. After about an hour or two of trying to rest, my sensitive ears heard Kakashi stand up, the creaks in the chair echoing in my eardrums.

"Don't push yourself; the hospital's not all that bad," I heard the man softly say to me, "who knows, it might not only heal the pain in your head, but also the encasement over your heart..."

Now what did that blasted teacher of mine mean by that? Sure, I was what people considered "anti-social". In fact, I hate talking. And conversing. And gossiping. I just see no need for conversation when I could spend my time training instead. The more I train, the closer I come to reaching my goal. What is my goal, you ask? All of the Uchiha have been killed off, ironically, by another Uchiha—my brother.

Uchiha Itachi, the assassin that showed the most potential and honor in the family, ended up breaking the heads of our parents right in front of my eyes. He told me to gain power and kill him, staring at me with his gleaming cold Sharingans. It held no warmth or light of the Itachi I used to know, the Itachi I used to look up to. With his eyes, he drowned me in his darkness, surrounding me and suffocating me with his being. I live to take the life of Itachi; other then that I have no reason for existing.

Actually, I had intended to revive my clan, but unfortunately I do not hold the necessary requirements to fulfill that goal. How can I fall in love, or even show affections for someone when I have none? They think I do not know, but I hear everything; people have said that I did not like girls, and in a way they are right. However, I do not like boys either. I hold affection for no one, merely hate. Hate is the emotion that fuels anger, which in turn fuels power. Hate is the only emotion I allow myself to feel; the last thing I have felt since Itachi's betrayal...

My eyes still closed, I failed to notice the bright flash of gold that zipped past my doorway. Instead, I felt the slight breeze that somehow managed to touch my sensitive skin, and my equally sensitive nose picked up a waft of...

Something light yet pleasant, soft and mellow...

_It smelled of Summer skies..._

AN: Yes, I know, short chapter compared to my famous 14+ paged ones. However, this short epilogue is needed to explain things. Many things. Hmm, I've never written things with elegance before, and I was trying in this one. Sorta. It ended up being part-humor part-sarcasm. Must be my mood –scritches head- Mm, to make things clear then, in case my writing is...confusing:

Sasuke is part of a team in Konoha Academy, a school for training assassins. Like the manga, he wants to kill Itachi because Itachi killed his parents, yet he is stuck in this hospital, unable to train for weeks because of an accident. He is a, so to speak, "cold-hearted bastard" and he refuses to open up to anyone; a grim and serious child, he locks himself away from others so he can focus on what he believes is his only goal in life. How the hospital can change him, you will have to read on...

Now the ages of the characters:

Pretty much all the students in the story are going to be 19.

Kakashi and Iruka are...mid 20's seem good?

QUESTIONAIRE:

1. Tragedy? Or happy ending? (there were originally more questions, but no one seems to answer them, so I'll ask the most important question for now).


	2. The Meeting

AN: Booo, what's up with the weird "har har imma take away your spacebar spaces wahahahah!" problem in my first chappie? –winces- arrrr, the horror...must fix that soon indeed. Anyway, no one really...answered my polls from earlier so I'll continue with my original plan and hope it turns out well o.o;

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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A Wisp of Summer – The Meeting

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The past few days my head hurt so much I was not even able to go to the bathroom. Imagine my embarrassment when I had to call the nurses for the potty dish (AN: There's a hole or something in the hospital beds where the patients pee onto a dish from...) Also, the constant shrieking of the fangirls—especially Sakura and Ino—did not help my concussion at all, although I must admit, hiding from the girls in the quiet of my room was quite peaceful.

Soon, when I had finally convinced the doctors to let me exercise, I began to take daily walks around the hospital. In fact, I'm happily treading upon the hospital gardens at this very moment, my foot slowly crushing the tiny pebbles of the earth through the soles of my feet. It reminded me of crushing an insect, or should I say...crushing Itachi.

What more would I want but to crush that betraying brother of mine? Within my heart there echoes nothing but sorrow and the will for revenge. Not even the warm autumn breeze is able to quell my anger. Although it does feel quite good; a gentle whisper through my messy hair, filling me with a sense of needful peace...

Or so I thought until a blonde fireball hurled into my stomach, knocking me into the ground. I hissed as I felt the gravel beneath my elbow and my brain rolled around in my skull, making me see specks of light. Boy did that help my lovely concussion.

"GAH! I-I'm sorry! You alright?" A voice shouted rather loudly in my ear. I said nothing, trying to give the boy a glare, but instead giving him a rather painful wince as I tried to sit up.

_Just get away from me..._I thought to the boy, mentally willing him to understand me. Unfortunately, the poor fool began to panic and shake me.

_Kami, kill me now._

I saw the nurses rush to me and pull the boy away, pulling me to who knows where as Itachi's darkness crept back upon me, once more making me fall into the depths of unconsciousness...

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_A lone boy ran happily towards his elder teen brother, using his little legs to catch up to the elder's long graceful strides. _

"_Itachi Nii-san! Wait for me! Nii-san!" The boy shouted merrily, "Please don't leave me alone!"_

_The teen stopped abruptly, as if frozen in his tracks._

"_...Nii-san?" _

_Itachi slowly turned around to stare at his precious brother...His sharingan gleamed wickedly, much like his eerie smirk as he gazed into Sasuke's' eyes._

_**Blood**. Sweeping across the landscape, filling the boy's very pores. **Red Destruction**. Bodies of his parents flashed before his eyes, the stench of their blood thick in the air._

"_Wh-Why? Nii-san...How could you..."_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

I sat up abruptly, ignoring the sharp pain in my skull as I breathe heavily; my heart felt like it would burst as I felt my cold sweat clinging onto my sticky skin. I heard a crash to my side and I snapped my head in the direction, granting myself yet another burst of pain.

The lump beside me growled and made several swears as he began to untangle himself, having fallen off my chair.

"O-Oi! Temme, why did you scream?" He yelled as he finally gave up, sprawled across the cold white linoleum.

"Who are you?" I heard myself say coldly, inspecting the boy that lay below me.

I scoff to myself as I took in his features; he was the exact opposite of me. He was a skinny little runt; all muscle and bones. He also had a tanned healthy glow, and I almost smirk to myself when I figure out that he must be a few inches shorter than me. What really made me realize our differences, however, were the three scars that marred both side of his otherwise flawless face, his glowing halo of gold-spun hair, and his brilliant, sparkling eyes filled with the ocean's depths.

Compared to my own dark eyes, night-black hair, and vampire-pale skin, he was most definitely very different from me. Strangely, what threw me off was...his smile. His bright, energetic smile seemed to fill my stark white room and transform it into...an atmosphere of liveliness? Almost like a club fair at a King's Court, with excitement and laughter echoing along the walls...

_Stupid thoughts, begone._ I mutter to myself, _you must abstain from such happiness in order to attain the goal you have set upon yourself._

The boy commenced to sit up, still on the floor.

"You don't remember me? I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the one who ran into you at the gardens!" He said happily.

"...Watch where you're going, dobe."

"Do-Dobe! Hey look now, I didn't mean to run into you ok? I was just playing a nice game of tag with the others and...are you even listening?"

I look away, ignoring the boy as he promptly commenced to swear at me.

"You're such a mopey kid! Geez, how on earth do you manage to make friends?" The Uzumaki person muttered, scratching his head in frustration.

"...I don't have any friends."

"Na-Nani? What do you mean?"

I ignored the boy again. Keh, he talks too much, especially to people he does not even know.

"Like you'd care." I muttered, almost flinching in surprise at not being able to suppress my mouth from spewing words. I hesitated and froze in expectation, wondering just what the boy's reaction would be. In what seemed like hours, a hand came upon my shoulder, lightly patting me in a comforting fashion. I felt my eyes widen in shock at the familiar contact.

_Shrug him off, idiot! You don't need anyone's pity!_ My mind screamed, and yet I could not. Something seemed to keep me in place, whether it be the boy's firm, confident grip or my own body paralyzed from shock.

"Daijoubu. I'll be your friend." The boy said softly to my ear, his sincerity and his smile soaring to me through his words, "You won't have to be alone as long as I, Uzumaki Naruto am here!"

And that is how my friendship began...or could one call it a friendship?

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"SASUKE-TEMME! GET BACK HERE! I'M NOT LETTING YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS!" A voice screamed across the hall, accompanied by the loud stomping of feet as the blonde rushed through a mob of nurses. I smirked inwardly as I crept along the walls, careful not to jar my head too much as I continued to sneak off with the dobe's art portfolio.

_Serves that idiot right for drawing on my face when I was sleeping._

I almost laughed as I held the notebook above my head, watching Naruto jump frantically at his bait.

"You look like a child." I joked, letting a small smirk onto my face as I watched Naruto's face flush with anger.

"Gimme that!" He finally yelled as I let him snatch back the portfolio. He sat down on my bed in a huff, clutching the art book tightly against his chest.

I sit down next to him, watching him with my emotionless eyes. I had only known the boy for a few days, yet he had already seen me smirk. Not even Sakura had ever seen me do anything but snarl in anger.

"What do you draw?" I question. Naruto seemed to tense, a slight tinge of rose pink creeping to the tips of his ears as he murmured something inaudible.

"Is it something that Kakashi would like?" I smirk again. Damn, the boy's making me become a sadistic bastard.

"N-no!" Naruto said quickly, "It's just my random doodles! SEE?" He hastily opened the notebook and threw it onto my lap. I leafed through the pages, taking in the countless doodles of random trees, children playing with animals, and...what is this?

"Is this...me?" I raised my eyebrow at the blonde, who sputtered and choked on some imaginary piece of food.

"Um, er...Well, I wonder how this got in here! Must be something that Ino drew! Heh, heh..." Naruto laughed with embarrassment. My eyes narrowed as I slapped him on the head with a "Shinobi Lifestyle" magazine lying randomly on my white nightstand.

"You're a bad liar." I declared as the blonde yelped and rubbed his head, "but how do you know Ino? And Kakashi?"

Naruto stopped talking and stared at me, his mouth open in a semi-daze.

"Naruto...?"

The blonde shook his head and laughed.

"I saw them talking to you, of course! Boy, you should have seen Ino trying to kiss you when you were sleeping! Good thing I, the great Naruto, came to the rescue!"

"As I said, you're a bad liar."

_He really is, _my mind agreed, _it's almost annoyingly easy to tell whenever he's hiding something._

However, Naruto laughed all the same, telling me that I had better believe him because he won't be giving me any other reason. With a wave and a grand flourish, he left my room. As if on cue, Kakashi strode into the room immediately after that.

_Funny,_ I noted, _the brilliant, gleaming white of my room turns back into its dull, strict state when that sunny idiot leaves. _

"Sorry I came late, there was a line of ducks in the road and I had to escort them-"

I stopped Kakashi's excuse with a glare. He merely chuckled and scratched the back of his head.

"So Sasuke's still the same stony kid that I left in the hospital eh?" He lamely said.

"I've been stuck here for a week and that's all you have to say?" I growled, my hair bristling at his lame excuse for not visiting me since the first day I arrived.

"Well, I thought you had that little blonde to keep you company so-"

"Ino is anything _but_ company." I hissed.

"I meant Naruto."

I stopped breathing as I gazed at the gray-haired man warily. How had he known about Naruto? How had Naruto known about Kakashi?

"Maa, I haven't seen you talk so much since you met that boy." Kakashi continued, "I never knew Uchiha Sasuke could joke around."

"He's a nuisance." I snapped, "now when can I get out of this hell hole? I need to train."

I narrowed my eyes even more as Kakashi continue to scrutinize me with a twinkle in his eye.

"The doctors want you to be completely recovered before leaving the hospital grounds, so maybe about...one more week?"  
"One more week! I need to train! I need to rise above Itachi and kill that basta—" I stopped mid-sentence, controlling my anger.

_No need for emotions, Uchiha_ I told myself, _Exploding like that is only something Naruto would do._

Kakashi chatted with me a little longer—rather, he talked while I gave the occasional grunt to tell him I was listening. When he finally turned his back to leave, I called to him:

"What is your connection with Naruto?"

The man paused, turning around to give me a sad smile before walking away.

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I awoke with a grinning blonde inches from my face. I shoved him off angrily, the dobe grumbling to himself when he realized that I wasn't surprised or scared from his little prank.

"I can't believe the doctors want me to stay for one more week." I mutter to myself as I rubbed the sleepiness from my eyes. The blonde heard me and asked,

"You're only staying for one more week?"

I turned to look at Naruto, his eyes were wide and he seemed almost...scared?

"Well, it's only a concussion. What about you? There's nothing wrong with you is there?"

Naruto blinked.

"Well, I guess I'm so lovable that the doctors want me to stay here more!" He snickered as I rolled my eyes. Just as I was about to comment, the two people I hated most in the world (aside from Itachi) walked in.

"AAAAAAANNNN! SASUKE-KUUUUUN!" They screeched as they knocked over Naruto and crammed themselves onto the lone white chair next to my bed.

"Ugh, get off the chair, Ino. Your butt's going to break it!"

"What are you talking about, Sakura? Your big forehead's the one with all the weight!"

I glared silently at the two girls clawing at each other and after a few minutes, they finally remembered that I was in front of them and looked at me with their lovestruck eyes.

"Sasuke-kun, I made a nutritious soup for you so you can get well sooner!" Sakura said cheerfully as she unloaded her container of soup. "I really wonder how that feline mongrel could knock you down though."

I fumed, _-You- were the cause of my problems, that's what._

"Sasuke-kun, I brought a large bento for you." Ino interrupted, "I put all of my heart into making it!"

_Shut up. You don't have a heart._ I mentally griped.

That was when I noticed Naruto was sitting on the ground, staring at the two girls with wide eyes.

"Kyaa! What's this boy doing here?"

"Trying to sneak a peek under our skirts, weren't you? Pervert!"

I rubbed my aching head as Naruto stuttered, trying to tell them that he was talking to me.

"Ha! Like Sasuke would ever want to talk to a patient! You're sick and disgusting, what if you contaminate him?" Sakura sneered.

"Sakura."

"Am I right, Sasuke-kun?"

"I'm a patient too."

Silence fell across the room as Sakura just realized that she had insulted "her" Sasuke-kun.

"Leave it to the big forehead girl to insult Sasuke-kun! Though I admit that the brat _is_ annoying...and what's up with those scars on his face? They're hideous!"  
"Ino."  
"It's like some grotesque—Yes, Sasuke-kun?" She stopped midsentence and flashed me a smile, thinking that she had touched me in some way.

_Guess again._

"Get out."

"What?"  
"Both of you. Leave."

Before the girls could protest, I sent them a disgusted glare and they walked out scared.

_Serves them right, those incessant bugs._

I was so busy glaring I did not even notice when the blonde I had been defending resumed his spot in the abandoned white chair. I glanced at him and sighed, shaking my head in apology. Naruto smiled in understanding and shifted over to the side of my bed.

_Funny how the boy can know me so well in a mere span of five days._

A somewhat awkward silence settled upon us after that; me pretending to think while actually staring at the boy and the blonde fidgeting with his hands.

Naruto didn't seem all too unhappy with Sakura and Ino talking ill of him; in fact, he seemed almost—dare I say—normal. A little quiet perhaps, but normal. I cleared my throat.

"So...how about we go to your room from now on? That way those girls won't bothe—"

"No!" Naruto shouted suddenly, "I mean, that's not a good idea."

I raised an eyebrow.

"And why not?"  
"It's too far! You have to take the elevator and everything!"

"I can walk, dobe. And it's only an elevator away."

"No, really! It's _really_ tiring and...and I have an obnoxious roommate who snores and complains all day!"

I gazed into the boy's wild, desperate eyes. He was obviously terrified and lying through his teeth. Hell, every pore in his body screamed 'I can't lie to save my arse!'

...So what was he hiding?

"It can't be that bad, dobe."

"Oh yes it can—and don't call me dobe, Sasuke-temme!"

"Whatever. Let's go take a walk." I changed the topic, knowing better than to force the boy to spill whatever secret he was carrying.

As the blonde cheerfully skipped around me while I hobbled around the stone path of the hospital garden, I began to ponder.

_How does Naruto know Kakashi and everyone? Why does Kakashi know Naruto, but the girls don't? Why won't he let me go to his room?_

I stopped walking as I notice Naruto greet what seemed to be the 30th hospital patient/employee.

I called his name and he turned back, looking at me with an eager curiosity.

"How long have you been at this hospital?"

The boy looked shocked; his eyes widened and the marks on his cheeks seemed to grow deeper.

"Why do you ask?"

"How do you know all of these patients and employees?" I pressed.

"I ran around the hospital getting to know everyone's names the first day I came! I have good memory!" The boy gushed; his answer came out a little too fast, a little too rehearsed. I gave Naruto a long look, telling him that I didn't believe a word he said before continue to walk on. I could feel Naruto's gaze on my back as I walked past him, a gaze similar to an eternal burden of questions that continued to grow heavier with each day that passed...

----------------------------------End Chapter-------------------------------------

AN: Hmm, I was a bit disappointed withthe lack ofreviews from the last chapter (I know, I love attention u.u) BUT that doesn't stop me from posting more chapters. This hospital-growth concept has really attached me it seems. Hmm, but enough about me—this story seems to have short chapters o.o; well, it's either short chapters or like...3 long chapters. Poopers.

Mm, since not many people helped me with my poll, I've decided on a Sasuke POV. Everything else will have to remain a mystery, without a doubt. ;D

Poll so far:

1 Tragedy

1 Happy

1 for...both?

Note: Next chapter there will be my good ol' familiar angst. Wee, I love angst...

**RiverDarkness: **You are my absolute savior –hugs- Haha, no, really. I was really about to give Naruto something like lukemia (god not a heart failure, I agree with that cliche-ness) or blood cancer (also lukemia) but after reading your review, I was like "Hot-diggety, I would be making yet another lame korean-drama-esque fanfic!" And a made up one is...bleh. I'll definitely research something surprising and meaningful!

**JapanAnimeGirl:** You're the only one who answered all of my questions! I heart you. And also because of you, I decided to go with the Sasuke POV. Thanks for the great help –more hearts-

**Shadow Eclipse:** Tragedy eh? Hmm...We'll see...;D

**Momochi Zabuza:** Wee! I remember you from my other Sasunaru ficcie! (I think...) Thanks for the review, I always appreciate it :3

**Mimi:** Eep! Sharp knives are scary. Well, since I've only gotten 1 vote for a happy ending, and 1 vote for a tragedy ending, I'll have to see what my (future) reviewers would want to. Hmm, perhaps I'll make a double ending like my Inuyasha one...


	3. Rejection and Development

**AN:** This chapter is undoubtedly one of the hardest chapters I had to write. Why? Because I found myself with pages of information and nowhere to put it in without seeming too obvious or too...boring. I've tried my best and I really hope I did an alright job of it X-x;

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is not mine. Poopers.

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A Wisp of Summer – Rejection and Development

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Today I didn't see Naruto. It was strange; no pranks, no loud, obnoxious laughing, no blonde hair, no...well, no Naruto.

I asked the nurse if she had seen the brat and she gave me a small, knowing smile. Patting me on the back, she whispered, "He'll be fine, don't worry," before bustling away, thinking that I knew what was going on and that I was simply worried about my friend.

Wait. Backtrack.

_Friend?_

Where had that come in? I have no friends. I _cannot _have any friends. I had forbid it from myself when I had vowed to kill that bastard of a brother. I hiss to myself in frustration.

_I've thrown myself too deep into this "relationship." Hell, I wasn't even supposed to have any form of relationships in the first place!_

So I've decided. No more seeing Naruto and no more talking about friendships; more plotting, less conversing. I leaned back and considered calling the nurse for a new pillow.

_Stupid bag of fluff is making my heart ache..._

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I knew he was there before I even heard him; whenever he enters my room everything turns from strict white to free gold. His scent, unique and refreshing, stubbornly crawls over my senses, energizing my closed mind with ease.

_I hate him. I have to!_

"Sasukeeeeeeeeeeeee!" The loudmouth screamed, bouncing onto my bed.

I continue staring at the magazine in my hand, casually flipping the pages. I ignore him as he scoffs and sputters at being ignored.

"Sasuke! Oi! Temme, you there? Nyeh? Nyeh?" The brat begins to wave a hand irritatingly in my face.

I slap his hand aside and glare at him angrily.

"Leave me alone, dobe."

"What's with your attitude today?" The blonde whines, "I thought we were friends!"

"Friends? Who said anything about friendship?" I snap back, "I hate you!"

Naruto drew back as if he was burned.

"Sasuke? You all right, man? Did the nurse give you too many drugs?"

"You annoy me." I further hiss, "I don't need distractions like you!"

I continue glaring at him, ignoring the fact that his wide, innocent, sky-blue eyes had collected a shimmering puddle of transparent blue below. A stream trickles down his face.

In fact, I continue glaring at him even as he spun around, knocking the blank chair over and sprinting out of my room. The room becomes dull once again, a streak of black already marking the leg of the flawless chair where it had hit the floor; a mark that continued to spread and grow like a plague—or like the darkness in my heart. I furrow my brows, another headache was coming on. Concussions can go to hell.

I place my hands on my head and push at my temples when the pain begins to pulsate.

_Why is there such a commotion outside?_

"Get him on the stretcher, quick!"  
"Call the doctor!"

"...critical condition...fainted..."

_Now which sickly patient fell this time? Wouldn't they have better sense than to go running around willy-nilly if they are in such a bad condition? _I grumble angrily to myself.

"Patient name?"  
"Uzumaki Naruto."

"Quick, take him to the emergency room!"

Naruto? He was fine just a moment ago!

_He was crying. You call that fine, you arrogant asshole?_

I swing my legs off the bed and walk as quickly as I could to the doorway, only to see a mop of blonde hair being ushered quickly around the corner.

I walk up to a nurse, tapping at her back.

"What happened?" I stutter without my signature Uchiha-gracefulness. The nurse turns around, clearly surprised.

"I'm not really sure...I assume he must be allergic to the Prednisone, but he seemed fine befo—"

"Prednisone?" My blood chills as the nurse looks me over with a solemn eye.

"It's a drug that suppresses the immune system and prevents inflammation."

"Why would he need to suppress his immune system?" I all but squeak as the nurse raises her eyebrow at me.

"You might want to ask our patient about that." She remarks grimly before going to check up on her next patient.

According to my knowledge, Prednisone is a serious medication with just as serious side effects—Hell, it suppresses the immune system for crying out loud! That would result in severe infections, anxiety, high blood pressure, sleep disturbance, depression...

But Naruto doesn't have depression. He doesn't have any of those symptoms! I race (more like hobble) quickly to the emergency room just as a doctor rushed out. He stops me when I ask him where Naruto is.

"The patient is in critical condition, I will send a nurse to inform you of when you may visit." He mumbles quickly before speeding off to another critical patient. I clench my jaw, staring at the swinging doors of the emergency room.

"_How long have you been at this hospital?"_

_The boy looked shocked; his eyes widened and the marks on his cheeks seemed to grow deeper._

"_Why do you ask?"_

My eyes widen at the memory. Exactly how long has that dobe been in this hospital? With renewed fervor, I ask another nurse which room Naruto stayed in.

"Uzumaki Naruto?" She repeats, giving me a quizzical glance, "Level 5, Room 504. I'm afraid that boy is not in there right now..."

"It's all right." I assure her as I walk away, "I was just curious."

As I near the elevator, I glance at the directory. The room freezes over and I stop breathing as the cryptic words lodge into my brain, piercing the lump of gray matter repeatedly for emphasis like a fatal kunai blow:

**Level 5: Long-term/ Terminal Disease Control Center**

Naruto had a...long-term? Terminal? Either way it could not be good. Shaking free of the sudden trance, I step into the elevator, determined to delve further into the world that Naruto exists in.

The familiar feeling of lurching and pulling quickly stops, and I hobble past the hallways, desperately searching for the mysterious Room 504. Strangely, it was at the very end of the hall, standing in a desolate manner. It stands apart from the other rooms, seeming to be its own prison.

I let out the breath I realized I had been holding for an indeterminate amount of time and I feel my trembling feet softly thud forward into the echoing, cold linoleum. The space between me and the door seems infinite, its walls shifting between a shadowed gray and dirty white. I breathe out yet another puff of air that I had been holding again as I clutch the beam next to the open door before letting myself in.

It was a world of which I had never imagined.

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Dark shadows flit lazily across the room as the closed shutters wail solemnly to the bitter wind. A small, stark bed lies silently in the small, stark room as a small, stark nightstand stands grimly to the side. The only splash of color was a lonely pot with a fake daffodil in it, already fading through the dirty dust and grime.

I draw in a shaky breath, running my hands over the scratchy covers of the bed.

_Naruto said he had a roommate._

I feel my jaw clenching grimly as I look at the bare walls. Naruto obviously did not have a roommate. In fact, no one even visits this part of the hospital; no one ever does. _Why?_ I bit my tongue, not wanting to answer.

_Because everyone here has given up hope of living._

A moan comes from the hallway. I whip my head around, jumping at the sudden noise. Entranced by a strange fear in the pit of my stomach, I stood staring through the air as the calm moaning quickly rises in vibrant crescendo. It screeched and wailed, shouted and groaned until finally settling into a pain-filled scream.

The screaming continues, echoing louder through the hallways as other voices answer in reply. They scream back in pain, others whispering in soft whimpers and pitiful tears as nurses and doctors quickly rush to the location, shouting for sedatives and immediate Emergency Room preparations.

_Has Naruto ever found himself like that?_

My eyes widen, appalled yet still transfixed by the abrupt flurry of white and medical beings in the hallway. Had Naruto ever found himself in that same situation, screaming and clawing himself as the nurses held him down?

I cautiously poke my curious head out into the hallway as a nurse wheels the newest long term patient into her new room. The woman stares into the ceiling with blank, unblinking eyes.

"I'm going to die." She whispers, "I'm going to die, and no one can save me."

Almost on cue, her neck turns mechanically towards me as her dry, brittle hair slides heavily off her shoulder. Her blank, dark eyes stare into my own, drowning me in their deathly depths.

"I'm going to die."

I flinch, turning my head away as the patient continues her hopeless murmur. Another flash of color catches my eye. Nay, it was not color, but something different from the grays and whites of the level. It was a glossy, filmy paper clipped to an aging, brown-yellow clipboard.

Curious, I raise the sheet to me, glancing at it with raised eyebrows:

**Patient:** Naruto Uzumaki

**Illness:** Acute Interstitial Lung Disease

**Condition:** Unstable

Acute Interstitial Lung Disease, a rare scarring in the lungs that normally people ages forty to sixty get...why Naruto? _How_ Naruto?

I reel back and fling a hand carelessly on a nearby handicap rail, the other arm finding a place on my stunned face as my mind takes out the file on the disease.

It is a type of Pulmonary Fibrosis, which is a scarring that starts in a place near the air sacs, causing the lungs to become stiff and inhibiting oxygen flow.

It dawned on me:

**Acute Interstitial Lung Disease is the worst form of Pulmonary fibrosis one could get.**

I close my eyes as a vision flashes into my mind, as clear as the time I saw it. Blank, dark eyes stared into my own.

"_I'm going to die."_

**

* * *

AN: To be honest, I was just going to end the chapter here. Barely five pages, I know. BUT I really don't think, for the amount of time that you all have been forced to wait, the chapter is worth it. Therefore, I am continuing :3**

* * *

I really don't know how long I stood there with my eyes closed tightly and my fists embedding imprints into the metal railing from which they lay. Emotions jolted through my system too quickly to sense: First the initial shock, followed closely by amazement and disbelief, only to end in the bottom of my gut with terror and despair.

...Terror? Fear?

Was I actually scared that Naruto might die? With the measly amount of days that I had known the dobe, I already cared for him?

Uchiha Sasuke cares for no one.

_Yet you'd be crushed if he died._

Before I had a chance to retort, nurses burst through the door, holding the stretcher that contained the unconscious blonde.

"Naruto!" I cry out before I could think, running over to the stretcher with urgency. "Is he all right?"

To my frustration, the nurses gently push me back, "He'll be fine, but let him rest." They told me, prodding me away from the blasted room. I grit my teeth in frustration, glaring daggers into the backs of the medic-nins and wildly hoping that they would just drop dead.

However, there was no such luck and I found myself back in my room, snuggled in bed and twiddling my thumbs like a fretful mother.

By the time I actually closed my eyes it was near midnight. I felt mentally drained from thinking about Naruto and his deathly pale face, his shallow breathing, his closed eyes. Naruto was not meant for the darkness; he was the son of the golden sun, the warmth that comes from light. Naruto was not meant for closing his eyes.

Yet even as I fell into slumber, I saw him. I never stopped thinking of the dobe that had befriended me so intimately. In my dreams, I saw him sleeping peacefully on his bed in his stark room with the gray tiles and ragged ceiling. I saw him with his pale hands folded gently across his lap and shadows casting themselves across his three scars on his face. I saw him open his eyes.

His blank, blank eyes. They had no sparkle; no light, and yet they were open; dead. Those eyes gazed into mine, stoic and apathetic. They stared at me as the words silently formed themselves on the soft, lithe mouth.

"_I'm going to die."_

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My eyes shoot open; blood-shot and burning with the heaviness that comes from waking up too early.

Glancing at my clock, I wince and hold my throbbing head when I notice it is not even 6:00 am.

Blank eyes with no warmth flash into my mind, causing me to gasp again. "Naruto!" I cry suddenly as my legs carry me back to the room which the blonde lay in. As I scramble into the room, I notice he is already awake. He says nothing, opting to stare at the cracks in the ceiling while he ignores my presence.

I let out a breath of relief when I notice that his eyes—although they do not hold their familiar sparkle—are still filled with life, brimming through his tears. For what seemed like eternity, I stare at the limp body with its shining eyes that counted the crevices of the ceiling, until it finally spoke.

"What are you doing here?" The cracked lips form.

"I came to check up on you." I say breathlessly, disregarding my supposed-cold demeanor for the present.

"You are not supposed to be here."

"I know. You made sure of it by lying to me."

The eyes suddenly narrow and the blond head whips around to face me. "I lied to _you?_ _You_ were the one who chatted with me, laughed with me, joked with me...then said you hated me! What right do you have to say that I _lied _to you?"

I wince. "You would not understand."

The dobe reels back as if stunned before throwing his head back and laughing loudly, placing a hand on his face in an exaggerated gesture of wiping invisible tears of mirth.

"Right. I wouldn't understand because I am beneath you; I, a lowly terminal patient, am beneath the honorable Uchiha Sasuke."

"That's not what I meant!" I snap, only to be answered by another eerie laugh.

"Sasuke, do you know how long I've really been in this hospital?"

"Wh-No." I stutter, taken aback at the abrupt change of topic.

"A grand total of three months." The boy laughs again, "seems really short, doesn't it?"

At my stunned face, the blond laughs even harder, "You're right. I haven't been here for sixteen years or some outrageous amount, but I _have _been here, wide-awake, 24/7 and dying with every day that passes."

The boy sobers; his eyes downcast and sullen. "Do you know why I'm here?" I shake my head mutely, unable to say a word.

"Because of people like you!" He suddenly spits, cursing me silently with every word. "If people like you weren't around, I would have been spending my time training to be the strongest assassin that ever lived! Because of people like you..." The blonde quiets, the awkward silence in the room growing stronger and the tension getting thicker.

"Did you know that I am Kyuubi's reincarnation?" His soft voice comes again; this time tinged with melancholy and sadness, "or that is what the temple priests said."

"What does that have to do with anything?" I venture cautiously, scared that he would change the topic again.

He gazes at the bony hands in his lap. "It ruined my life; my parents abandoned me, the government put me in the lowest, dirtiest streets to live in, and in the end all I had was instant ramen and rotting milk for nourishment."

I decide to look at the boy for the first time. He is, I decide, extremely thin and small for the age of nineteen.

"I was happy though, somewhat. At least I had an apartment to live in," the blonde chuckles, "What a joke. Did you know that the apartment I lived in had been declared unsafe and dangerous? It contained talc dust, silica, and hard metal dusts. How those things got there in the first place I'll never know."

My eyes widen a fraction at his confession. Those dusts should not be in any living spaces at all! They were dusts found in mines and other dirty places...never living spaces!

"So apparently I had been poisoned all of my life, "Naruto continues, "it would have been fine, if I had not gotten pneumonia."

I find myself leaning over in worry as Naruto lowers his head into his trembling hands. "It came suddenly, when I accidentally locked myself out in the pouring rain. What I thought was a minor cold ended up with an infection, which spread to my lungs; that was the beginning." He continues morosely. "I would have been fine if I had gotten corticosteroids, but there is more."

Looking at me with his head still bowed, he murmurs, "People like you burned my home."

"What?" The words spill from my mouth before I can contain it, "Why would anyone do that?"

"Because you hate me," comes the reply, "Some college mates of mine decided to play a prank and burned down my apartment with me in it." He holds out his arm, now with faintly visible burn marks that I had never noticed before. "I choked on the fumes and my infection grew worse," he smiles mockingly, "guess what? Now I've got Acute Interstitial Pneumonia and a little less than two months to live."

I gape at him with my disbelieving eyes as he smiles sadly at me. "It's a wonder that I have lived this long already. The doctors thought I would not even survive the first month."

He opens his mouth to talk again, but I envelop him in a fierce embrace. Ignoring the vicious scream of my consciousness which squawked '_The cold-hearted Uchiha Sasuke is hugging another boy!'_ I whisper fiercely to the blonde.

"Don't you dare die on me, dobe. I don't hate you, so please don't die on me."

Words suddenly came unbidden, and I whisper everything to him: Itachi, my revenge, my will to stay cold-hearted, the teachers of my school; everything. I whisper everything and anything until he says he is tired, and making sure he is asleep, I tuck him in gently before leaving the room.

I, Uchiha Sasuke, am not as cold-hearted as I thought I was.

* * *

**AN:** Phew, that was a mouthful, wasn't it? And only ten pages at that. Mm, more information will be thrown at you all in the next chapter and I hope I don't confuse any of you with it! If you have questions, please ask me about them and I will be happy to explain!

**PS:** I had to tweak some things to make the story work in here. For example, Naruto staying in the "terminal patients wing". I'm not all too sure of how hospitals work so I don't know if there's such thing in the hospital (doubtful since there are convalescent homes or something like that); however, in Naruto's world, there is. Also, I don't know anyone who has Pulmonary Fibrosis (but I _have _done research!) so if I say anything out of place or just downright wrong, I apologize in advance -.-

And omgoodness, I was doing more research on this disease and now that I have a clear idea of how Naruto's going to change throughout the story...it makes me cry T-T

**Next Chapter:** So Sasuke and Naruto are all chummy again. What about Sakura and Ino's attitudes toward Naruto? And his three scars on his face? Too many questions left unanswered!

**Shoutouts:**

_Native Sakura:_ Both endings! Excellent idea! Unfortuantely, I think the disease I picked is...well...tragic –sobs- I really hope I can find some loophole to cure Naruto for the alternate ending! (If there is one)

_Powederblossom:_ OMGOSH! THANK YOU FOR ALERTING ME ON THAT ERROR! I HEART YOUUUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuu- No really, thanks a bunch. I was SO embarrassed when I found out that I mixed it up. Thanks to you, I fixed it. Much thanks again :D

_Melony_: Sorry it took so long! Lots of writer's blocks along the way but heres the new info-filled chappie:D

_Kallipso:_ So many people want happy endings...I'll work hard as I can to find a loophole! X.x;

_Kida54:_ Updated:D (Yea...don't know what else to say...)

_Dolphingirl32173:_ Aiyee! Evil spirit begone:D Haha, I love your review. It's so funny and amusing and...write me more? Please? XD

_OmniscientOne:_ Aww, thanks for your review! I really do try hard to make the development seem natural, please alert me if there's anything that doesn't seem right :)

_Kira Takahashi:_ Updated! And um, thanks for the review:D :D

_Ginger Guardian Angel:_ Hehe, wailing and begging? –Gives ginger a cookie- I hope you continue reading my ficcie:D

_Xcloudx: _Aww, thanks for the review!

_Umi Minamino:_ Another tragedy fan eh? Awesome possum:)

_Enozym:_ Hehe, sorry for stopping so suddenly! Here's the next chapter, although short :(

_Blue Moon201:_ It'll probably be a sasunaru friendship fic that's really...erm, close. It won't be like full on sasunaru making out or anything since, well, it doesn't seem very realistic, so be merry:D

_Faerie-killer:_ The poll is still open! And angst angst angst, lots of it coming up ;D

_Morath Isil Durunya:_ Ooh, you have a neat name :o Thanks for encouraging me with Sasuke's POV, it really helps :)

_Rockpaperscissor:_ Really, I'm not _complaining_, merely stating a fact. BUT I really do appreciate your responses to my poll questions, and I find it very informational and helpful. Not to mention I really do agree with your explanations. It's hard getting reviewers who are so helpful and I really appreciate what you're doing. So thanks :)

_Momochi Zabuza:_ Haha, poor you! How'd you get into the hospital in the first place? Eeps! Hehe, thanks for your review! I hope you enjoy this chapter too!


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